• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
World's most powerful rocket built by Elon Musk to go to Mars sets first launch date

Home> News

Published 19:35 5 Apr 2023 GMT+1

World's most powerful rocket built by Elon Musk to go to Mars sets first launch date

It looks like it could be blasting off for the first time very soon

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

It’s been literally years in the making, but Elon Musk’s $3 billion Starship rocket looks like it could finally have a date for its very first orbital flight - and it’s happening pretty soon.

According to Musk, the SpaceX Starship only has a 50/50 chance of making it into orbit, but he has promised that whatever happens it ‘won’t be boring’.

Speaking last month, Musk said: “I’m not saying it will get to orbit, but I am guaranteeing excitement. I think it's got, I don't know, hopefully about a 50 percent chance of reaching orbit.”

During the same interview, Musk also confirmed that the rocker is ready to go once it receives a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Advert

And now, a planning notice from the FAA has revealed that the rocket could blast off as early as next week.

The notice has an initial date of April 10, with April 11 and 12 as back ups. However, in a statement, the FAA stressed it hadn’t granted a licence just yet.

“The FAA has not made a license determination for the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy operation,” the FAA said in a statement.

The SpaceX launchpad in Texas.
Marc Sherman / Alamy Stock Photo

Advert

“The FAA's Command Center planning notice should not be interpreted as an indicator that a determination to issue a license has been made or is forthcoming.”

Nonetheless, a report in Ars Technica claims that NASA is reserving the use of its high-altitude WB-57 aircraft for observations of the Starship test flight on April 10 and 11’.

The article goes on to say that NASA is closely tracking SpaceX’s progress as it plans to use ‘the Starship vehicle as a lunar lander for its astronauts as part of the Artemis moon missions’.

While over on Twitter Musk has ‘liked’ a tweet that simply said: “April 10" alongside a gif of a rocket launching.

Advert

It was also noted that SpaceX moved its most flight-ready Starship rocket - Ship 24 - to its launch site at its base in Boca Chica, Texas.

Elon Musk.
dpa picture alliance/Alamy

Despite all the excitement, Musk has made it crystal clear that he’s aware that launching such a rocket for the first time might not work as desired.

Launching such a complex piece of machinery is fairly fraught with potential problems - one teeny tiny flaw within the spacecraft's hardware or software could see the whole thing, literally, go up in flames.

Advert

However, he has also said that if this first attempt doesn’t go well SpaceX is building several more Starship rockets and he reckons that there’s around an 80 percent chance that one of these will be successful before the end of 2023.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy / Bob Daemmrich / zumi

Topics: US News, Elon Musk, Space, SpaceX

Claire Reid
Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at UNILAD who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

4 mins ago
11 mins ago
24 mins ago
an hour ago
  • Milos Bicanski/Getty Images
    4 mins ago

    Greta Thunberg recalls alleged 'mistreatment' in Israeli custody including threats of being gassed in cages

    Greta Thunberg has spoken out about the alleged mistreatment she suffered after being taken into captivity in Israel

    News
  • Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
    11 mins ago

    ChatGPT to roll out X-rated content with subtle dig at Elon Musk and Grok

    Only verified adults will be able to use the spicy new feature

    Technology
  • CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images
    24 mins ago

    'Vile and inexcusable' text messages leaked from Young Republicans racist group chat

    Those responsible have been forced to issue statements on their comments

    News
  • SWNS
    an hour ago

    Wife speaks out on husband's 'grumpiness' which was subtle sign of something more sinister before death

    She's spoken of how his personality changed before being given a devastating diagnosis

    News
  • Elon Musk successfully wins vote to construct his own city in US state as part of plan to 'colonize Mars'
  • Elon Musk explains why plan to 'colonize Mars' is important for survival of civilization
  • Elon Musk says he wants to 'die on Mars' in bizarre new interview with Trump
  • SpaceX aborts rocket launch to retrieve stranded NASA astronauts who are still stranded in space